The word Aveida, is used seldomly in the Torah, to describe what is to be done if someone comes across something that is lost. Perhaps most famously in Devarim 22:3;

 וְכֵ֧ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַחֲמֹר֗וֹ וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשֶׂה֮ לְשִׂמְלָתוֹ֒ וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֗ה לְכׇל־אֲבֵדַ֥ת אָחִ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאבַ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וּמְצָאתָ֑הּ לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לְהִתְעַלֵּֽם׃    

You shall do the same with their donkey; you shall do the same with their garment; and so too shall you do with anything that your fellow Israelite loses and you find: you must not remain indifferent.

Here, aveidah is relational. Something is lost, but not beyond recovery. The finder is summoned into responsibility. Loss becomes the beginning of connection.

However the more frequent association with this term is far more sinister. It occurs in this week’s portion of Emor. In conveying the restrictions that apply to Yom Kippur and the consequences of transgressing them, the verse, 23:30, stipulates;

וְכׇל־הַנֶּ֗פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר תַּעֲשֶׂה֙ כׇּל־מְלָאכָ֔ה בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְהַֽאֲבַדְתִּ֛י אֶת־הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)